Relief distribution to continue until next Boro harvest in Haor areas: Minister

Disaster Management and Relief Minister Mofazzal Hossain Chowdhury Maya has said that the relief distribution among the affected people in Haor areas will continue until the next Boro harvest.

Moreover, the power division has been asked to put on hold the electricity bill for one year in the affected areas.

He was speaking at a view exchange meeting at Trawlerghat in Uchitpur in Netrokona on Tuesday.

“There is no reason for the farmers in the area to lose heart. The government can tackle the situation,” he said, adding that “the government is drawing a plan for the future of the Haor areas.”

He also said the seeds, fertiliser and pesticide would be distributed free in the next crop season.

The minister said that some 330,000 people affected in the area would be given 30kg of rice and Tk 500 every month for the next 100 days.

The government has allocated 35,000 metric tonnes of rice and Tk 500 million to continue the relief efforts.

And those who does not want to take relief can take OMS rice at a low price.

Prime Minster Sheikh Hasina directed all the commercial and nationalised banks to not recover loans from the farmers.

Maya said, “if the farmers have no crops then how they can pay their electricity bills or bank loans?”

Netrokona Deputy Commissioner Mushfiqur Rahman said that some 167,180 people are affected in the district.

Crops in 69,710 hectares of land out of 84,320 hectares are under water in the district.

Until Monday, some 355 metric tonnes of rice and Tk 2.5 million have been distributed among the affected people in Netrokon, according to the deputy commissioner.